Archive for June, 2014

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A man accused of leading a police chase last fall that ended with a police dog’s bite is back in jail and waiting to face attempted murder charges in South Carolina.

Wilmington Police arrested Johnnie Lamont Williams, 42, May 21, and charged him with assault on a female and resisting an officer. After he was booked, a check of outstanding warrants showed that bench warrants had been issued from Beaufort County, SC, in March for Williams.

Court documents show Williams was wanted as a fugitive for “murder/attempted murder,” child endangerment aggravated assault and attempt to assault an officer with a vehicle.

We spoke with Williams Monday evening in the New Hanover County Detention Center. He told us he was advised not to talk about the details of the case, but did say this about allegedly trying to hit officers during the 2012 incident. “”The video speaks for itself,” Williams said referring to dash camera video. “With everything. I didn’t have anything unlawful in the car. I didn’t have anything illegal in the car. So why would I turn a misdemeanor into a felony? You know?”

According to a news release from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office on June 30, 2012, Williams was involved in an officer-involved shooting after allegedly trying to drive away from a traffic stop and trying to hit three officers, which led to the charges, including three counts of attempted murder. Williams and a backseat passenger were hospitalized with gunshot wounds after officers opened fire. They were later cleared. The news release said Williams had his 6-year-old nephew in the front seat. The boy was not hurt.

Williams is due back in New Hanover County court Tuesday.

In November investigators say Williams drove through a police checkpoint and almost hit an officer with his car. That began a chase through northern Wilmington and New Hanover County until officers were able to use a PIT maneuver to stop his car. At the end of the chase Ofc. Stafford Brister put his K9 Kaas through the window of Williams’s car. Williams suffered several bite wounds before the dog could be removed.

A grand jury declined to indict Brister of any crimes. He later returned to duty as a patrol officer. Wilmington City Council last week voted to give Kaas to the Fair Bluff Police Department.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Since the spill in the Dan River coal ash has been a hot topic. This has folks asking a few questions about the coal ash in our own backyard. Duke Energy Progress is trying to answer some questions. Spokesman Jeff Brooks says, “In light of Dan River, we’ve taken a fresh look at all our sites.”

Duke energy issued a third party review to look at potential risks. They are also developing a long-term strategy for all ash ponds in the state.

“If you think about it, the most aggressive timelines call for those plants to be excavated in five years.”

That’s what new legislation is pushing for but duke energy says it might be too fast, worried about rushing the process and missing opportunities for efficient disposal.

Duke energy reps say this timeline ultimately comes down to how plants are classified. Until then, they are deciding on how to take care of the ash. Options include taking it to a lined landfill, reusing it or capping it with proper close methods.

“But we have to make sure we’re making the right choice for Sutton and not just one size fits all and that takes time, that takes, science and that takes study.”

Coal ash contains contaminants known to cause cancer. This is raising the most questions about the selenium levels in Sutton Lake. While the toxin levels in the lake are elevated compared to the Cape Fear river, they still meet standards based upon the usage for the pond, because of that testing they’re taking extra precaution for residents nearby.

“We don’t know if that ground water will migrate to the Flemington community, but in some of the monitoring wells we saw we did see some elevation,” Brooks said. “So Duke Energy proactively took the step to work with the utility, the public authority to build a water line.”